Generating customizable avatar outfits

ABSTRACT

Method of generating customizable avatar outfits and accessories starts with a processor receiving a first identification information associated with a first article of clothing for sale on a first third-party server. The processor generates an outfit update interface comprising an avatar associated with a user of a client device and a first selectable item corresponding to the first article of clothing. The processor receives a selection from the client device of the first selectable item. The processor modifies the avatar to generate a modified avatar that is wearing an avatar outfit that comprises a first item that resembles the first article of clothing. The processor then causes the modified avatar to be displayed on a display screen of the client device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

BACKGROUND

The popularity of electronic messaging, particularly instant messaging,continues to grow. Users increasingly use customized avatars withinelectronic messages such as texts and emails reflecting a global demandto communicate more visually.

These customized avatars can be personalized by the users to representthe users in various applications, video games, messaging services, etc.Since the customized avatars can be generated in a different array ofsituations, displaying various emotions, or even be animated, the usersare able to communicate their feelings more accurately in messages usingthe customized avatars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsmay describe similar components in different views. Like numerals havingdifferent letter suffixes may represent different instances of similarcomponents. Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and notlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example messaging system forexchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network.

FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating further details regarding amessaging system, according to exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating data which nay be stored inthe database of the messaging server system, according to variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow diagram of a process according to variousaspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 5A-5B are exemplary user interfaces according to various aspectsof the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a representative softwarearchitecture, which may be used in conjunction with various hardwarearchitectures herein described.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine,according to some exemplary embodiments, able to read instructions froma machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) andperform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques,instruction sequences, and computing machine program products thatembody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. In the followingdescription, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific detailsare set forth in order to provide an understanding of variousembodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident,however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the inventivesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Ingeneral, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, andtechniques are not necessarily shown in detail.

Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure improve thefunctionality of electronic messaging software and systems by generatingcustomizable avatar outfits for avatars of users within electronicmessages. For example, users of different mobile computing devices canexchange electronic communications with images generated to includeavatars representing themselves as well as their friends, familymembers, or colleagues.

In some embodiments, the system generates an outfit update interfacethat includes the avatar associated with the user and selectable itemsthat correspond to articles of clothing or accessories that are for saleon a third-party server. For example, the selectable items are userinterface elements that correspond to real articles of clothing oraccessories being sold on a retailer's website (e.g., clothing brand'swebsite or general retail store's website). When the user selects one ofthe selectable items, the system can generate a first item thatresembles the article of clothing or accessory that corresponds to theselected selectable item. For example, if the selected selectable itemcorresponds to a leather jacket for sale on Brand X's website, the firstitem is a representation or depiction of the leather jacket by Brand Xfor the user's avatar to wear.

By allowing the user to further customize the look of his avatar using awider range of clothing and accessories, the system ensures that theuser is able to make his avatar more representative of his style. Thesystem can also allow the user to share with other users of the systemthe avatar outfits such that the engagement of users with the system isalso increased.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example messaging system 100 forexchanging data (e.g., messages and associated content) over a network.The messaging system 100 includes multiple client devices 102, each ofwhich hosts a number of applications including a messaging clientapplication 104. Each messaging client application 104 iscommunicatively coupled to other instances of the messaging clientapplication 104 and a messaging server system 108 via a network 106(e.g., the Internet). As used herein, the term “client device” may referto any machine that interfaces to a communications network (such asnetwork 106) to obtain resources from one or more server systems orother client devices. A client device may be, but is not limited to, amobile phone, desktop computer, laptop, portable digital assistants(PDAs), smart phones, tablets, ultra books, netbooks, laptops,multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, game consoles, set-top boxes, or any other communicationdevice that a user may use to access a network.

In the example shown in FIG. 1 , each messaging client application 104is able to communicate and exchange data with another messaging clientapplication 104 and with the messaging server system 108 via the network106. The data exchanged between messaging client applications 104, andbetween a messaging client application 104 and the messaging serversystem 108, includes functions (e.g., commands to invoke functions) aswell as payload data (e.g., text, audio, video or other multimediadata).

The network 106 may include, or operate in conjunction with, an ad hocnetwork, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), alocal area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network(WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), theInternet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network,a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network,another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks.For example, a network or a portion of a network may include a wirelessor cellular network and the coupling may be a Code Division MultipleAccess (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications(GSM) connection, or other type of cellular or wireless coupling. Inthis example, the coupling may implement any of a variety of types ofdata transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio TransmissionTechnology (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSMEvolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long TermEvolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard settingorganizations, other long range protocols, or other data transfertechnology.

The messaging server system 108 provides server-side functionality viathe network 106 to a particular messaging client application 104. Whilecertain functions of the messaging system 100 are described herein asbeing performed by either a messaging client application 104 or by themessaging server system 108, it will be appreciated that the location ofcertain functionality either within the messaging client application 104or the messaging server system 108 is a design choice. For example, itmay be technically preferable to initially deploy certain technology andfunctionality within the messaging server system 108, but to latermigrate this technology and functionality to the messaging clientapplication 104 where a client device 102 has a sufficient processingcapacity.

The messaging server system 108 supports various services and operationsthat are provided to the messaging client application 104. Suchoperations include transmitting data to, receiving data from, andprocessing data generated by the messaging client application 104. Thisdata may include, message content, client device information,geolocation information, media annotation and overlays, message contentpersistence conditions, social network information, and live eventinformation, as examples. Data exchanges within the messaging system 100are invoked and controlled through functions available via userinterfaces (UIs) of the messaging client application 104.

Turning now specifically to the messaging server system 108, anApplication Program Interface (API) server 110 is coupled to, andprovides a programmatic interface to, an application server 112. Theapplication server 112 is communicatively coupled to a database server118, which facilitates access to a database 120 in which is stored dataassociated with messages processed by the application server 112.

Dealing specifically with the Application Program Interface (API) server110, this server receives and transmits message data (e.g., commands andmessage payloads) between the client device 102 and the applicationserver 112. Specifically, the Application Program Interface (API) server110 provides a set of interfaces (e.g., routines and protocols) that canbe called or queried by the messaging client application 104 in order toinvoke functionality of the application server 112. The ApplicationProgram Interface (API) server 110 exposes various functions supportedby the application server 112, including account registration, loginfunctionality, the sending of messages, via the application server 112,from a particular messaging client application 104 to another messagingclient application 104, the sending of media files (e.g., images orvideo) from a messaging client application 104 to the messaging serverapplication 114, and for possible access by another messaging clientapplication 104, the setting of a collection of media data (e.g.,story), the retrieval of a list of friends of a user of a client device102, the retrieval of such collections, the retrieval of messages andcontent, the adding and deletion of friends to a social graph, thelocation of friends within a social graph, opening and application event(e.g., relating to the messaging client application 104).

The application server 112 hosts a number of applications andsubsystems, including a messaging server application 114, an imageprocessing system 116 and a social network system 122. The messagingserver application 114 implements a number of message processingtechnologies and functions, particularly related to the aggregation andother processing of content (e.g., textual and multimedia contentincluding images and video clips) included in messages received frommultiple instances of the messaging client application 104. As will bedescribed in further detail, the text and media content from multiplesources may be aggregated into collections of content (e.g., calledstories or galleries). These collections are then made available, by themessaging server application 114, to the messaging client application104. Other processor and memory intensive processing of data may also beperformed server-side by the messaging server application 114, in viewof the hardware requirements for such processing.

The application server 112 also includes an image processing system 116that is dedicated to performing various image processing operations,typically with respect to images or video received within the payload ofa message at the messaging server application 114.

The social network system 122 supports various social networkingfunctions services, and makes these functions and services available tothe messaging server application 114. To this end, the social networksystem 122 maintains and accesses an entity graph 304 within thedatabase 120. Examples of functions and services supported by the socialnetwork system 122 include the identification of other users of themessaging system 100 with which a particular user has relationships oris “following”, and also the identification of other entities andinterests of a particular user.

The application server 112 is communicatively coupled to a databaseserver 118, which facilitates access to a database 120 in which isstored data associated with messages processed by the messaging serverapplication 114.

Some embodiments may include one or more wearable devices, such as apendant with an integrated camera that is integrated with, incommunication with, or coupled to, a client device 102. Any desiredwearable device may be used in conjunction with the embodiments of thepresent disclosure, such as a watch, eyeglasses, goggles, a headset, awristband, earbuds, clothing (such as a hat or jacket with integratedelectronics), a clip-on electronic device, and/or any other wearabledevices.

FIG. 2 is block diagram illustrating further details regarding themessaging system 100, according to exemplary embodiments. Specifically,the messaging system 100 is shown to comprise the messaging clientapplication 104 and the application server 112, which in turn embody anumber of some subsystems, namely an ephemeral timer system 202, acollection management system 204 and an annotation system 206.

The ephemeral timer system 202 is responsible for enforcing thetemporary access to content permitted by the messaging clientapplication 104 and the messaging server application 114. To this end,the ephemeral timer system 202 incorporates a number of timers that,based on duration and display parameters associated with a message, orcollection of messages (e.g., a story), selectively display and enableaccess to messages and associated content via the messaging clientapplication 104.

The collection management system 204 is responsible for managingcollections of media (e.g., collections of text, image video and audiodata). In some examples, a collection of content (e.g., messages,including images, video, text and audio) may be organized into an “eventgallery” or an “event story.” Such a collection may be made availablefor a specified time period, such as the duration of an event to whichthe content relates. For example, content relating to a music concertmay be made available as a “story” for the duration of that musicconcert. The collection management system 204 may also be responsiblefor publishing an icon that provides notification of the existence of aparticular collection to the user interface of the messaging clientapplication 104.

The collection management system 204 furthermore includes a curationinterface 208 that allows a collection manager to manage and curate aparticular collection of content. For example, the curation interface208 enables an event organizer to curate a collection of contentrelating to a specific event (e.g., delete inappropriate content orredundant messages). Additionally, the collection management system 204employs machine vision (or image recognition technology) and contentrules to automatically curate a content collection. In certainembodiments, compensation may be paid to a user for inclusion of usergenerated content into a collection. In such cases, the curationinterface 208 operates to automatically make payments to such users forthe use of their content.

The annotation system 206 provides various functions that enable a userto annotate or otherwise modify or edit media content associated with amessage. For example, the annotation system 206 provides functionsrelated to the generation and publishing of media overlays for messagesprocessed by the messaging system 100. The annotation system 206operatively supplies a media overlay (e.g., a filter) to the messagingclient application 104 based on a geolocation of the client device 102.In another example, the annotation system 206 operatively supplies amedia overlay to the messaging client application 104 based on otherinformation, such as, social network information of the user of theclient device 102. A media overlay may include audio and visual contentand visual effects. Examples of audio and visual content includepictures, texts, logos, animations, and sound effects. An example of avisual effect includes color overlaying. The audio and visual content orthe visual effects can be applied to a media content item (e.g., aphoto) at the client device 102. For example, the media overlayincluding text that can be overlaid on top of a photograph generatedtaken by the client device 102. In another example, the media overlayincludes an identification of a location overlay (e.g., Venice beach), aname of a live event, or a name of a merchant overlay (e.g., BeachCoffee House). In another example, the annotation system 206 uses thegeolocation of the client device 102 to identify a media overlay thatincludes the name of a merchant at the geolocation of the client device102. The media overlay may include other indicia associated with themerchant. The media overlays may be stored in the database 120 andaccessed through the database server 118.

In one exemplary embodiment, the annotation system 206 provides auser-based publication platform that enables users to select ageolocation p and upload content associated with the selectedgeolocation. The user may also specify circumstances under which aparticular media overlay should be offered to other users. Theannotation system 206 generates a media overlay that includes theuploaded content and associates the uploaded content with the selectedgeolocation.

In another exemplary embodiment, the annotation system 206 provides amerchant-based publication platform that enables merchants to select aparticular media overlay associated with a geolocation via a biddingprocess. For example, the annotation system 206 associates the mediaoverlay of a highest bidding merchant with a corresponding geolocationfor a predefined amount of time.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram 300 illustrating data 300 which may bestored in the database 120 of the messaging server system 108, accordingto certain exemplary embodiments. While the content of the database 120is shown to comprise a number of tables, it will be appreciated that thedata could be stored in other types of data structures (e.g., as anobject-oriented database).

The database 120 includes message data stored within a message table314. The entity table 302 stores entity data, including an entity graph304. Entities for which records are maintained within the entity table302 may include individuals, corporate entities, organizations, objects,places, events etc. Regardless of type, any entity regarding which themessaging server system 108 stores data may be a recognized entity. Eachentity is provided with a unique identifier, as well as an entity typeidentifier (not shown).

The entity graph 304 furthermore stores information regardingrelationships and associations between entities. Such relationships maybe social, professional (e.g., work at a common corporation ororganization) interested-based or activity-based, merely for example.

The database 120 also stores annotation data, in the example form offilters, in an annotation table 312. Filters for which data is storedwithin the annotation table 312 are associated with and applied tovideos (for which data is stored in a video table 310) and/or images(for which data is stored in an image table 308). Filters, in oneexample, are overlays that are displayed as overlaid on an image orvideo during presentation to a recipient user. Filters may be of variestypes, including a user-selected filters from a gallery of filterspresented to a sending user by the messaging client application 104 whenthe sending user is composing a message. Other types of filers includegeolocation filters (also known as geo-filters) which may be presentedto a sending user based on geographic location. For example, geolocationfilters specific to a neighborhood or special location may be presentedwithin a user interface by the messaging client application 104, basedon geolocation information determined by a GPS unit of the client device102. Another type of filer is a data filer, which may be selectivelypresented to a sending user by the messaging client application 104,based on other inputs or information gathered by the client device 102during the message creation process. Example of data filters includecurrent temperature at a specific location, a current speed at which asending user is traveling, battery life for a client device 102 or thecurrent time.

Other annotation data that may be stored within the image table 308 isso-called “lens” data. A “lens” may be a real-time special effect andsound that may be added to an image or a video.

As mentioned above, the video table 310 stores video data which, in oneembodiment, is associated with messages for which records are maintainedwithin the message table 314. Similarly, the image table 308 storesimage data associated with messages for which message data is stored inthe entity table 302. The entity table 302 may associate variousannotations from the annotation table 312 with various images and videosstored in the image table 308 and the video table 310.

A story table 306 stores data regarding collections of messages andassociated image, video or audio data, which are compiled into acollection (e.g., a story or a gallery). The creation of a particularcollection may be initiated by a particular user (e.g., each user forwhich a record is maintained in the entity table 302). A user may createa “personal story” in the form of a collection of content that has beencreated and sent/broadcast by that user. To this end, the user interfaceof the messaging client application 104 may include an icon that is userselectable to enable a sending user to add specific content to his orher personal story.

A collection may also constitute a “live story,” which is a collectionof content from multiple users that is created manually, automaticallyor using a combination of manual and automatic techniques. For example,a “live story” may constitute a curated stream of user-submitted contentfrom varies locations and events. Users, whose client devices havelocation services enabled and are at a common location event at aparticular time may, for example, be presented with an option, via auser interface of the messaging client application 104, to contributecontent to a particular live story. The live story may be identified tothe user by the messaging client application 104, based on his or herlocation. The end result is a “live story” told from a communityperspective.

A further type of content collection is known as a “location story”,which enables a user whose client device 102 is located within aspecific geographic location (e.g., on a college or university campus)to contribute to a particular collection. In some embodiments, acontribution to a location story may require a second degree ofauthentication to verify that the end user belongs to a specificorganization or other entity (e.g., is a student on the universitycampus).

Embodiments of the present disclosure may generate and presentcustomized images for use within electronic messages such as SMS or MMStexts and emails. The customized images may also be utilized inconjunction with the stories, filters, and ephemeral messagingfunctionality discussed herein.

FIG. 4 are exemplary flow diagrams of processes according to variousaspects of the disclosure. Although the flowcharts may describe theoperations as a sequential process, many of the operations can beperformed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of theoperations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when itsoperations are completed. A process may correspond to a method, aprocedure, etc. The steps of methods may be performed in whole or inpart, may be performed in conjunction with some or all of the steps inother methods, and may be performed by any number of different systems,such as the systems described in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 7 . For example, thesteps of methods may be performed by the messaging server system 108,the client device 102, or any combination thereof. The steps of methodsmay also be performed by a processor coupled to the messaging serversystem 108, a processor coupled to the client device 102, or anycombination thereof.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary process of generating customizable avataroutfits according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In thisexample, method 400 starts, at operation 410, with a processor receivinga first identification information associated with a first article ofclothing for sale on a first third-party server. The firstidentification information can be, for example, an identification number(e.g., a stock keeping unit (SKU), Universal Product Number (UPC) orbarcode number, a brand's item number, etc.), an image of the article ofclothing, a brand name of the first article of clothing, a URL of awebpage to purchase the article of clothing (e.g., Bloomingdale'swebsite), or a QR code.

In one embodiment, the processor receives the first identificationinformation from the third-party server. The third-party server can be aserver of a retailer that is selling the first article of clothingonline. The third-party server can be transmitting the firstidentification information to the processor in the messaging serversystem 103 or to the client device 102.

In one embodiment, the processor receives the first identificationinformation from the client device 102. For example, the user of theclient device 102 can scan a QR code that is displayed with the firstarticle of clothing on the third-party server's website or input andtransmit the identification number, image of the article of clothing, orURL of the webpage to purchase the article of clothing. To provide thefirst identification information, using a camera coupled to the clientdevice 102, the user can also scan a QR code or SKU number that is onhangtag of the first article of clothing at the brick-and-mortar retailstore associated with the third-party server or from a billboard oradvertisement for the first article of clothing.

At operation 420, the processor generates an outfit update interface.The outfit update interface comprises an avatar associated with a userof a client device and a first selectable item corresponding to thefirst article of clothing. For example, FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate examplesof the outfit update interface 500 that is displayed at a client device.As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the outfit update interface 500 includes anavatar preview window 505 that displays the avatar associated with theuser of a client device.

In one embodiment, the processor (e.g., application server) can receiveuser identifiers associated with the users in the communication sessionand avatar characteristics associated with the user identifiers,respectively. In some embodiments, the user identifier may be receivedfrom an input within an electronic message from a client device 102(e.g., the user's client device 102). For example, the user could input,via the user interface of the user's computing device, his or her nameto generate the user's own customized avatar. Additionally oralternatively, the user identifier may be received based on informationstored within the user's computing device. Any such identifier may beused, such as the user's full name or a username associated with theuser. The user identifier may also be an identifier associated with theuser's computing device, such as a Unique Device Identifier (UDID) orIdentifier for Advertising (IDFA).

As used herein, an “avatar” of a user is any visual representation ofuser. The avatar of a user or individual may be any image resembling orotherwise associated with the user or individual. The avatar of a usermay be based on characteristics derived from images of the user inconjunction with the avatar characteristics identified from the user'srelationships with other users. Alternatively or additionally, the usermay select and customize characteristics of the user's avatar via theuser's computing device customized avatar characteristics). Suchcustomized avatar characteristics may include, for example, the user'sbodily features (e.g., muscular, thin, etc.), facial features, clothingand accessories, text displayed in conjunction with the avatar, andimages displayed in conjunction with the avatar. The avatarcharacteristics may be received or retrieved from a variety of sources,such as the local memory of a client device 102 as well as from othersystems and devices, such as a database or server.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the outfit update interface 500 also includesselectable items 504 (FIG. 5A) and 521_1 to 521_m (m>1) (FIG. 5B)corresponding to the articles of clothing. Selectable items can be anyuser interface element that can be selected by the user via an inputdevice display screen, touch screen, keypad, etc) coupled to the clientdevice. Selectable items can include input controls (e.g., checkboxes,radio buttons, dropdown lists, list boxes, buttons, toggles, textfields, or date field) and navigational components (e.g., breadcrumb,slider, search field, pagination, slider, tags, icons).

In one example, if, at operation 410, the first identificationinformation (e.g., barcode number) is associated with a “Namacheko™Green Kasites Coat” that is for sale on the Namacheko™ brand's website,the processor generates, at operation 420, the first selectable item521_1 in FIG. 5B that corresponds to this article of clothing. Inanother example, if, at operation 410, the first identificationinformation (e.g., brand name, image of the item, etc.) is associatedwith a blouse by Maison Kitsuné that is for sale on the Maison Kitsuné™brand's website, the processor generates, at operation 420, the firstselectable item 504 in FIG. 5A or the first selectable item 521_2 inFIG. 5B that corresponds to this article of clothing.

Referring back to FIG. 4 , at operation 430, the processor receives aselection from the client device of the first selectable item. Forexample, in FIG. 5A, the user on the client device 102 can select thefirst selectable item 504. The processor receives this selection of thefirst selectable item 504 from the client device 102.

At operation 440, the processor modifies an avatar to generate amodified avatar. The modified avatar is wearing an avatar outfit thatcomprises the first item which resembles the first article of clothing.The modification of the avatar outfit is based on the selection of thefirst selectable item. At operation 450, the processor causes themodified avatar to be displayed on a display screen of the client device102. The processor can also transmit the modified avatar to be displayedon the display screen of the client device 102.

For example, if the first selectable item 504 is selected by the userusing an input device (e.g., touch screen, display screen, etc.) coupledto the client device 102, the avatar that is displayed in the avatarpreview window 505 in FIGS. 5A-5B is modified to generate the modifiedavatar that is wearing an avatar outfit that includes a first item thatresembles the first article of clothing. For example, the avatar in theavatar preview window 505 in FIG. 5A is wearing the blouse by MaisonKitsuné™ associated with the first selectable item 504.

In one embodiment, the processor can receive a second identificationinformation associated with a second article of clothing for sale on asecond third-party server. In this embodiment, the processor generatesthe outfit update interface to further comprise a second selectable itemcorresponding to the second article of clothing. In the example in FIG.5B, the outfit update interface includes an outfit combination interface520 that includes selectable items 521_1 to 521_m (m>1). Each of theselectable items 521_1 to 521_m corresponds to different articles ofclothing. For example, in FIG. 5B, the selectable item 521_1 correspondsto a “Namacheko™ Green Kasites Coat,” the selectable item 521_2corresponds to the “Bitmoji™ Vintage White Blouse,” and the selectableitem 521_3 corresponds to the “Chloé™ Black Twill Trousers.” Theprocessor can receive a selection from the client device of the firstselectable item and the second selectable item. In this example, theprocessor modifies the avatar to generate the modified avatar that iswearing the avatar outfit that comprises the first item that resemblesthe first article of clothing (e.g., the “Namacheko™ Green KasitesCoat”) and the second item that resembles the second article of clothing(e.g., “Chloé™ Black Twill Trousers”). In this embodiment, the processorcauses the modified avatar wearing the first and second items to bedisplayed on the display screen of the client device, for example, inthe avatar preview window 505.

In one embodiment, the processor can receive an identificationinformation associated with an accessory for sale on another third-partyserver. In this embodiment, the processor generates the outfit updateinterface to further comprise a selectable item corresponding to theaccessory. For example, in FIG. 5B, the selectable item 521_mcorresponds to a pair of “Stella McCartney™ Pink High-Tops” sneakers.The processor can receive a selection from the client device of thefirst selectable item 521_1 and the m^(th) selectable item 521_m. Inthis example, the processor modifies the avatar to generate the modifiedavatar that is wearing the avatar outfit that comprises the first itemthat resembles the first article of clothing (e.g., the “Namacheko™Green Kasites Coat”) and the item that resembles the accessory (e.g.,“Stella McCartney™ Pink High-Tops”). In this embodiment, the processorcauses the modified avatar wearing the first and second items to bedisplayed on the display screen of the client device, for example, inthe avatar preview window 505.

In one embodiment, when the processor receives the identificationinformation associated with a first article of clothing, the processorcan generate the first item that resembles the first article ofclothing. Similarly, when the processor receives the identificationinformation associated with an accessory, the processor can alsogenerate the item that resembles the accessory. In one embodiment, theprocessor generates the first item automatically by modifying itemsincluded in a database of items (e.g., database 120). The processor cananalyze an image of the first article of clothing and modify standarditems (e.g., the base or default shirt) that is stored in the databaseto resemble the first article of clothing. In another embodiment, theprocessor generates the first item by identifying the first item in thedatabase of items based on the identification information. In thisembodiment, the database of items is populated with items by a humanagent or automated agent of the messaging server. The database of itemscan also be periodically updated. For example, the database of items canbe updated when the third-party servers have new arrivals (e.g., newarticles of clothing or accessories for sale on their website).

In FIG. 5A, the outfit update interface 500 includes an outfit selectioninterface 510. The outfit selection interface 510 can include selectableitems that each correspond to articles of clothing as discussed above.The outfit selection interface 510 can also include a menu to helpnavigate through the different selectable items corresponding to thearticles of clothing. The menu in FIG. 5A is shown at the bottom of theoutfit update interface 500 and is organized by type of article ofclothing (e.g., dresses, tops, bottoms, jackets and outerwear, shoes,hats, etc.). The selectable items 504 in FIG. 5A corresponds to a blouseby the Maison Kitsuné™ brand. The avatar preview window 505 can includecolor selectors 503_1 to 503_n (n>1). When the user selects a colorselector 503_2, the color selector 503_2 is caused to be displayed inactive mode (e.g., a checkmark appears in the color selector 503_2), Theselection of the color selector 503_2 can also cause the first item ofclothing (e.g., the blouse by Maison Kitsuné™ that is associated withthe first selectable item 504) to be displayed in the colorcorresponding to the color selector 503_2. In this embodiment, themodified avatar that is displayed is wearing the blouse in the color ofthe color selector 503_2. When the user is satisfied with his changes tohis avatar's outfit, the user can select the saving icon 501 to save tothe database 120 the avatar outfit that was customized. The user canalso select the saving icon 501 to save to the client device's localmemory the avatar outfit that was customized.

In FIG. 5B, the outfit combination interface 520 allows the user tocombine different items corresponding to articles of clothing andaccessories from different brands. For example, the outfit combinationinterface 520 includes selectable items 520_1, 520_3, and 520_m that areassociated with a Namacheko™ coat, Chloé™ trousers, and StellaMcCartney™ High-Tops, respectively. As shown in FIG. 5B, each of theselectable items 520_1, 520_3, and 520_m includes a shopping bag icon522. In one embodiment, when the user selects the shopping bag icon 522of 521_3, the processor causes transmits the webpage of the third-partyserver (e.g., Chloé™'s webpage) that is selling the “Black TwillTrousers” referenced in selectable item 520_3. In one embodiment, thewebpage that is transmitted is caused to be displayed on the displayscreen of the client device. The outfit combination interface 520 canalso include selectable item 520_2 that is not associated with a realarticle of clothing or accessory that is sold by a third-party server.The selectable item 520_2 is associated with a default vintage whiteblouse that is included in the database of items (e.g., in the database120). The default vintage white blouse can be a generic article ofclothing for the user to dress his avatar.

In the FIG. 5A, the outfit combination interface 520 also includes atext input item that allows the user to name the avatar outfit. The usercan edit the name of the avatar outfit by selecting the edit icon (e.g.,the pencil icon). The avatar outfit is the combination of articles ofclothing or accessories in selectable items 520_1, 520_2, 520_3, and520_m. In FIG. 5A, the user named the avatar outfit: “Big Spring Drip.”As shown in FIG. 5A, the outfit combination interface 520 can furtherinclude the avatar outfit sharing icon 525. When the user selects theavatar outfit sharing icon 525, the processor can cause the clientdevice to display an interface that allows the user to select therecipients of the avatar outfit. For example, the interface that allowsthe user to select the recipients can include a list of the user'scontacts on the messaging system. The interface that allows the user toselect the recipients can also prompt the user to input recipients'contact information (e.g., electronic mail, SMS, telephone number,etc.). The processor can transmit to the selected recipient the avataroutfit including the selectable items 520_1, 520_2, 520_3, and 520_m asshown in the outfit combination interface 520. In some embodiments, theprocessor can transmit to the selected recipient the user's avatarwearing the avatar outfit as shown in the avatar preview window 505.

In one embodiment, a computing device (e.g., client device 102)comprises a processor and a user interface that is coupled to theprocessor. The user interface comprising an input device and a displayscreen. The computing device also comprises memory coupled to theprocessor that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor,cause the processor to perform operations to generate customizableavatar outfits. The operations to generate the customizable avataroutfits can be the method 400 as illustrated in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example software architecture606, which may be used in conjunction with various hardwarearchitectures herein described. FIG. 6 is a non-limiting example of asoftware architecture and it will be appreciated that many otherarchitectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionalitydescribed herein. The software architecture 606 may execute on hardwaresuch as machine 700 of FIG. 7 that includes, among other things,processors 704, memory 714, and I/O components 718. A representativehardware layer 652 is illustrated and can represent, for example, themachine 700 of FIG. 7 . The representative hardware layer 652 includes aprocessing unit 654 having associated executable instructions 604.Executable instructions 604 represent the executable instructions of thesoftware architecture 606, including implementation of the methods,components and so forth described herein. The hardware layer 652 alsoincludes memory and/or storage modules memory/storage 656, which alsohave executable instructions 604. The hardware layer 652 may alsocomprise other hardware 658.

As used herein, the term “component” may refer to a device, physicalentity or logic having boundaries defined by function or subroutinecalls, branch points, application program interfaces (APIs), and/orother technologies that provide for the partitioning or modularizationof particular processing or control functions. Components may becombined via their interfaces with other components to carry out amachine process. A component may be a packaged functional hardware unitdesigned for use with other components and a part of a program thatusually performs a particular function of related functions.

Components may constitute either software components (e.g., codeembodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware components. A“hardware component” is a tangible unit capable of performing certainoperations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physicalmanner. In various exemplary embodiments, one or more computer systems(e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or aserver computer system) or one or more hardware components of a computersystem (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured bysoftware (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardwarecomponent that operates to perform certain operations as describedherein. A hardware component may also be implemented mechanically,electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, ahardware component may include dedicated circuitry or logic that ispermanently configured to perform certain operations.

A hardware component may be a special-purpose processor, such as aField-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC). A hardware component may also includeprogrammable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured bysoftware to perform certain operations. For example, a hardwarecomponent may include software executed by a general-purpose processoror other programmable processor. Once configured by such software,hardware components become specific machines (or specific components ofa machine) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and areno longer general-purpose processors. It will be appreciated that thedecision to implement a hardware component mechanically, in dedicatedand permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configuredcircuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and timeconsiderations.

A processor may be, or in include, any circuit or virtual circuit (aphysical circuit emulated by logic executing on an actual processor)that manipulates data values according to control signals (e.g.,“commands”, “op codes”, “machine code”, etc.) and which producescorresponding output signals that are applied to operate a machine. Aprocessor may, for example, be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), aReduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processor, a ComplexInstruction Set Computing (CISC) processor, a Graphics Processing Unit(GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC)or any combination thereof. A processor may further be a multi-coreprocessor having two or more independent processors (sometimes referredto as “cores”) that may execute instructions contemporaneously.

Accordingly, the phrase “hardware component”(or “hardware-implementedcomponent”) should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be thatan entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g.,hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in acertain manner or to perform certain operations described herein.Considering embodiments in which hardware components are temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware components need notbe configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example,where a hardware component comprises a general-purpose processorconfigured by software to become a special-purpose processor, thegeneral-purpose processor may be configured as respectively differentspecial-purpose processors e.g., comprising different hardwarecomponents) at different times. Software accordingly configures aparticular processor or processors, for example, to constitute aparticular hardware component at one instance of time and to constitutea different hardware component at a different instance of time, Hardwarecomponents can provide information to, and receive information from,other hardware components. Accordingly, the described hardwarecomponents may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Wheremultiple hardware components exist contemporaneously, communications maybe achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuitsand buses) between or among two or more of the hardware components. Inembodiments in which multiple hardware components are configured orinstantiated at different times, communications between such hardwarecomponents may be achieved, for example, through the storage andretrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiplehardware components have access.

For example, one hardware component may perform an operation and storethe output of that operation in a memory device to which it iscommunicatively coupled. A further hardware component may then, at alater time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the storedoutput. Hardware components may also initiate communications with inputor output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection ofinformation). The various operations of example methods described hereinmay be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implementedcomponents that operate to perform one or more operations or functionsdescribed herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented component”refers to a hardware component implemented using one or more processors.Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partiallyprocessor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors beingan example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations ofa method may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented components.

Moreover, the one or more processors may also operate to supportperformance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing”environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, atleast some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers(as examples of machines including processors), with these operationsbeing accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or moreappropriate interfaces (e.g., an Application Program interface (API)).The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed amongthe processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployedacross a number of machines. In some exemplary embodiments, theprocessors or processor-implemented components may be located in asingle geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an officeenvironment, or a server farm). In other exemplary embodiments, theprocessors or processor-implemented components may be distributed acrossa number of geographic locations.

In the exemplary architecture of FIG. 6 , the software architecture 606may be conceptualized as a stack of layers where each layer providesparticular functionality. For example, the software architecture 606 mayinclude layers such as an operating system 602, libraries 620,applications 616 and a presentation layer 614. Operationally, theapplications 616 and/or other components within the layers may invokeapplication programming interface (API) API calls 608 through thesoftware stack and receive messages 612 in response to the API calls608. The layers illustrated are representative in nature and not allsoftware architectures have all layers. For example, some mobile orspecial purpose operating systems may not provide aframeworks/middleware 618, while others may provide such a layer. Othersoftware architectures may include additional or different layers.

The operating system 602 may manage hardware resources and providecommon services. The operating system 602 may include, for example, akernel 622, services 624 and drivers 626. The kernel 622 may act as anabstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers.For example, the kernel 622 may be responsible for memory management,processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management,networking, security settings, and so on. The services 624 may provideother common services for the other software layers. The drivers 626 areresponsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware.For instance, the drivers 626 include display drivers, camera drivers,Bluetooth® drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers(e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers), Wi-Fi® drivers, audiodrivers, power management drivers, and so forth depending on thehardware configuration.

The libraries 620 provide a common infrastructure that is used by theapplications 616 and/or other components and/or layers. The libraries620 provide functionality that allows other software components toperform tasks in an easier fashion than to interface directly with theunderlying operating system 602 functionality (e.g., kernel 622,services 624 and/or drivers 626). The libraries 620 may include systemlibraries 644 (e.g., C standard library) that may provide functions suchas memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions,mathematical functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries 620 mayinclude API libraries 646 such as media libraries (e.g., libraries tosupport presentation and manipulation of various media format such asMPREG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG), graphics libraries (e.g., anOpenGL framework that may be used to render 2D and 3D in a graphiccontent on a display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite that may providevarious relational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit thatmay provide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries 620may also include a wide variety of other libraries 648 to provide manyother APIs to the applications 616 and other softwarecomponents/modules.

The frameworks/middleware 618 (also sometimes referred to as middleware)provide a higher-level common infrastructure that may be used by theapplications 616 and/or other software components/modules. For example,the frameworks/middleware 618 may provide various graphic user interface(GUI) functions, high-level resource management, high-level locationservices, and so forth. The frameworks/middleware 618 may provide abroad spectrum of other APIs that may be utilized by the applications616 and/or other software components/modules, some of which may bespecific to a particular operating system 602 or platform.

The applications 616 include built-in applications 638 and/orthird-party applications 640. Examples of representative built-inapplications 638 may include, but are not limited to, a contactsapplication, a browser application, a book reader application, alocation application, a media application, a messaging application,and/or a game application. Third-party applications 640 may include anapplication developed using the ANDROID™ or IOS™ software developmentkit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of the particular platform,and may be mobile software running on a mobile operating system such asIOS™, ANDROID™, WINDOWS® Phone, or other mobile operating systems. Thethird-party applications 640 may invoke the API calls 608 provided bythe mobile operating system (such as operating system 602) to facilitatefunctionality described herein.

The applications 616 may use built in operating system functions (e.g.,kernel 622, services 624 and/or drivers 626), libraries 620, andframeworks/middleware 618 to create user interfaces to interact withusers of the system. Alternatively, or additionally, in some systemsinteractions with a user may occur through a presentation layer, such aspresentation layer 614. In these systems, the application/component“logic” can be separated from the aspects of the application/componentthat interact with a user.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating components (also referred toherein as “modules”) of a machine 700, according to some exemplaryembodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium(e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more ofthe methodologies discussed herein. Specifically, FIG. 7 shows adiagrammatic representation of the machine 700 in the example form of acomputer system, within which instructions 710 (e.g., software, aprogram, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code)for causing the machine 700 to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein may be executed. As such, theinstructions 710 may be used to implement modules or componentsdescribed herein. The instructions 710 transform the general,non-programmed machine 700 into a particular machine 700 programmed tocarry out the described and illustrated functions in the mannerdescribed. In alternative embodiments, the machine 700 operates as astandalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines.In a networked deployment, the machine 700 may operate in the capacityof a server machine or a client machine in a server-client networkenvironment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment. The machine 700 may comprise, but not be limitedto, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), atablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), apersonal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, acellular telephone, a smart phone, a mobile device, a wearable device(e.g., a smart watch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance),other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a networkswitch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing theinstructions 710, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to betaken by machine 700. Further, while only a single machine 700 isillustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include acollection of machines that individually or jointly execute theinstructions 710 to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

The machine 700 may include processors 704, memory memory/storage 706,and I/O components 718, which may be configured to communicate with eachother such as via a bus 702. The memory/storage 706 may include a memory714, such as a main memory, or other memory storage, and a storage unit716, both accessible to the processors 704 such as via the bus 702. Thestorage unit 716 and memory 714 store the instructions 710 embodying anyone or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. Theinstructions 710 may also reside, completely or partially, within thememory 714, within the storage unit 716, within at least one of theprocessors 704 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), or anysuitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine700. Accordingly, the memory 714, the storage unit 716, and the memoryof processors 704 are examples of machine-readable media.

As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium,” “computer-readablemedium,” or the like may refer to any component, device or othertangible media able to store instructions and data temporarily orpermanently. Examples of such media may include, but is not limited to,random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flashmemory, optical media, magnetic media, cache memory, other types ofstorage (e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and/orany suitable combination thereof. The term “machine-readable medium”should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers)able to store instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” may alsobe taken to include any medium, or combination of multiple media, thatis capable of storing instructions (e.g., code) for execution by amachine, such that the instructions, when executed by one or moreprocessors of the machine, cause the machine to perform any one or moreof the methodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readablemedium” may refer to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as“cloud-based” storage systems or storage networks that include multiplestorage apparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium”excludes signals per se.

The I/O components 718 may include a wide variety of components toprovide a user interface for receiving input, providing output,producing output, transmitting information, exchanging information,capturing measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components 718 thatare included in the user interface of a particular machine 700 willdepend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such asmobile phones will likely include a touch input device or other suchinput mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely notinclude such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/Ocomponents 718 may include many other components that are not shown inFIG. 7 . The I/O components 718 are grouped according to functionalitymerely for simplifying the following discussion and the grouping is inno way limiting. In various exemplary embodiments, the I/O components718 may include output components 726 and input components 728. Theoutput components 726 may include visual components (e.g., a displaysuch as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED)display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode raytube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components(e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signalgenerators, and so forth. The input components 728 may includealphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screenconfigured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, orother alphanumeric input components), point based input components(e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, orother pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physicalbutton, a touch screen that provides location and/or force of touches ortouch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio inputcomponents (e.g., a microphone), and the like. The input components 728may also include one or more image-capturing devices, such as a digitalcamera for generating digital images and/or video.

In further exemplary embodiments, the I/O components 718 may includebiometric components 730, motion components 734, environmentalenvironment components 736, ear position components 738, as well as awide array of other components. One or more of such components (orportions thereof) may collectively be referred to herein as a “sensorcomponent” or “sensor” for collecting various data related to themachine 700, the environment of the machine 700, a user of the machine700, or a combinations thereof.

For example, the biometric components 730 may include components todetect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocalexpressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g.,blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brainwaves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinalidentification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, orelectroencephalogram based identification), and the like. The motioncomponents 734 may include acceleration sensor components (e.g.,accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensorcomponents (e.g., gyroscope and so forth. The environment components 736may include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g.,photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or morethermometer that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensorcomponents, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acousticsensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect backgroundnoise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detectnearby objects), gas sensors e.g., gas detection sensors to detectionconcentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants inthe atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications,measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physicalenvironment. The position components 738 may include location sensorcomponents (e.g., a Global Position system (GPS) receiver component),altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detectair pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensorcomponents (e.g., magnetometers), and the like. For example, thelocation sensor component may provide location information associatedwith the system 700, such as the system's 700 GPS coordinates and/orinformation regarding a location the system 700 is at currently (e.g.,the name of a restaurant or other business).

Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies.The I/O components 718 may include communication components 740 operableto couple the machine 700 to a network 732 or devices 720 via coupling722 and coupling 724 respectively. For example, the communicationcomponents 740 may include a network interface component or othersuitable device to interface with the network 732. In further examples,communication components 740 may include wired communication components,wireless communication components, cellular communication components,Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g.,Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communicationcomponents to provide communication via other modalities. The devices720 may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheraldevices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a Universal Serial Bus(USB)).

Moreover, the communication components 740 may detect identifiers orinclude components operable to detect identifiers. For example, thecommunication components 740 may include Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components,optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detectone-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code,multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code, Azteccode, Data. Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2Dbar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components(e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, avariety of information may be derived via the communication components740, such as, location via Internet Protocol (IP) geo-location, locationvia Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting a NFC beaconsignal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth.

Where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one ofA, B, and C,” “one or more A, B, or C,” or “one or more of A, B, and C”is used, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that Aalone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in anembodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that anycombination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a singleembodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

Changes and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure. These andother changes or modifications are intended to be included within thescope of the present disclosure, as expressed in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a processor; and a memorycomponent having instructions stored thereon, when executed by theprocessor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:receiving a first identification information associated with a firstarticle of clothing for sale on a first third-party server; generatingan outfit update interface comprising an avatar preview window and anoutfit combination interface, the avatar preview window including anavatar associated with a user of a client device, and the outfitcombination interface including a plurality of selectable itemscorresponding to items for sale, for combining to create an avataroutfit for the user, wherein the plurality of selectable items comprisesa first selectable item corresponding to the first article of clothing;receiving a first selection from the client device of the firstselectable item; modifying the avatar to generate a modified avatar, themodified avatar wearing the avatar outfit that comprises a first itemthat resembles the first article of clothing; causing the modifiedavatar to be displayed on a display screen of the client device;receiving a selection of a selected recipient; and transmitting themodified avatar and the avatar outfit, which includes the plurality ofselectable items as presented in the outfit combination interface, to arecipient client device that is associated with the selected recipient.2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first identification informationcomprises an identification number, an image of the first article ofclothing, a brand name, a URL of a webpage to purchase the first articleof clothing, or a QR code.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein receivingthe first identification information comprises: receiving the firstidentification information from the client device, based on a QR code orSKU number scanned by a camera of the client device.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the first third-party server is a server of a retailer.5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising: receiving asecond identification information associated with a second article ofclothing for sale on a second third-party server.
 6. The system of claim5, wherein the plurality of selectable items comprise a secondselectable item corresponding to the second article of clothing.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6, the operations further comprising: receiving a secondselection from the client device of the second selectable item, whereinthe modified avatar is wearing the avatar outfit that comprises thefirst item that resembles the first article of clothing and a seconditem that resembles the second article of clothing.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, the operations further comprising: receiving a secondidentification information associated with an accessory for sale on asecond third-party server, wherein the plurality of selectable itemscomprise a second selectable item corresponding to the accessory.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8, the operations further comprising: receiving a secondselection from the client device of the second selectable item; whereinthe modified avatar is wearing the avatar outfit that comprises thefirst item that resembles the first article of clothing and a seconditem that resembles the accessory.
 10. The system of claim 1, theoperations further comprising: generating the first item that resemblesthe first article of clothing, wherein generating the first itemcomprises: generating the first item automatically by modifying itemsincluded in a database of items, or identifying the first item in thedatabase of items based on the first identification information.
 11. Amethod comprising: receiving, by a processor, a first identificationinformation associated with a first article of clothing for sale on afirst third-party server; generating an outfit update interfacecomprising an avatar preview window and an outfit combination interface,the avatar preview window including an avatar associated with a user ofa client device, and the outfit combination interface including aplurality of selectable items corresponding to items for sale, forcombining to create an avatar outfit for the user, wherein the pluralityof selectable items comprises a first selectable item corresponding tothe first article of clothing; receiving a first selection from theclient device of the first selectable item; modifying the avatar togenerate a modified avatar, the modified avatar wearing the avataroutfit that comprises a first item that resembles the first article ofclothing; causing the modified avatar to be displayed on a displayscreen of the client device; receiving a selection of a selectedrecipient; and transmitting the modified avatar and the avatar outfit,which includes the plurality of selectable items as presented in theoutfit combination interface, to a recipient client device that isassociated with the selected recipient.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the first identification information comprises an identificationnumber, an image of the first article of clothing, a brand name, a URLof a webpage to purchase the first article of clothing, or a QR code.13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the first identificationinformation comprises: receiving the first identification informationfrom the client device, based on a QR code or SKU number scanned by acamera of the client device.
 14. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising: receiving a second identification information associatedwith a second article of clothing for sale on a second third-partyserver.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of selectableitems comprise a second selectable item corresponding to the secondarticle of clothing.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:receiving a second selection from the client device of the secondselectable item, wherein the modified avatar is wearing the avataroutfit that comprises the first item that resembles the first article ofclothing and a second item that resembles the second article ofclothing.
 17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium havingstored thereon, instructions when executed by a processor, causes theprocessor to perform a method comprising: receiving a firstidentification information associated with a first article of clothingfor sale on a first third-party server; generating an outfit updateinterface comprising an avatar preview window and an outfit combinationinterface, the avatar preview window including an avatar associated witha user of a client device, and the outfit combination interfaceincluding a plurality of selectable items corresponding to items forsale, for combining to create an avatar outfit for the user, wherein theplurality of selectable items comprises a first selectable itemcorresponding to the first article of clothing; receiving a firstselection from the client device of the first selectable item; modifyingthe avatar to generate a modified avatar, the modified avatar wearingthe avatar outfit that comprises a first item that resembles the firstarticle of clothing; causing the modified avatar to be displayed on adisplay screen of the client device; receiving a selection of a selectedrecipient; and transmitting the modified avatar and the avatar outfit,which includes the plurality of selectable items as presented in theoutfit combination interface, to a recipient client device that isassociated with the selected recipient.
 18. The system of claim 1,wherein the plurality of selectable items comprises a second selectableitem corresponding to a generic article of clothing that is not forsale, the first selectable item and the second selectable item beingdisplayed together within the outfit combination interface.
 19. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the outfit combination interface includes,for each selectable item of the plurality of selectable items, an iconwhich is user-selectable to display a respective webpage associated withthe selectable item.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the outfitcombination interface includes an interface element for the user to seta name of the avatar outfit that is separate from a name of the user,the operations further comprising: receiving, from the client device,the name for the avatar outfit as set by the user via the interfaceelement; and causing the name of the avatar outfit to be displayedtogether with the modified avatar on the display screen of the clientdevice.